Time sensitive networks (TSNs) are a class of networks in which greater emphasis is placed on the control of packet delivery times. Interest in TSNs has increased in recent years in areas such as industrial automation, automotive control, media streaming, etc. For example, link layer technologies such as Deterministic Ethernet and Industrial Wireless Automation have emerged in recent years to enable the construction of a TSN. In general, these technologies operate by determining an amount of delay associated with a communication path in the network. The delivery time of a packet can then be calculated by offsetting the transmittal time of the packet by the delay. If the network is under relatively static conditions, the scheduling and delivery of packets within a TSN may be controlled with a high degree of precision.
Implementing a TSN routing strategy is particularly challenging within low power and lossy networks (LLNs) and other networks that experience varying network conditions. In comparison to traditional networks, these types of networks may exhibit lossy links, low bandwidth, limited battery operations, low memory and/or processing capabilities, etc. Changing environmental conditions may also affect device communications such as physical obstructions (e.g., the opening and closing of doors, changes in the foliage of nearby trees, etc.), changes in interference (e.g., from other wireless networks or devices), and changing propagation characteristics of the media (e.g., temperature or humidity changes, etc.). Accordingly, delays along a given communication path may also be variable, making it difficult to control packet delivery times in certain types of networks, such as LLNs.